Raven's Fiery Guide
by red-dragon-117
Summary: Sorry it took so long to update, I just haven't had time. Along with the new chapter, I fixed the other two. Enjoy!
1. Arrival

Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans or any of the other famous characters I may or may not include in this fic.  
  
A/N: I happen to be a fan of named attacks (like in DBZ and Digimon), so you'll find a lot of that in my characters.   
  
It was eight o'clock in the morning in the city, and it was turning out to be a pretty uneventful morning for the Titans.  
  
Robin was getting an early start on his daily training in the Tower's training room. The room was on one of the higher floors of the tower so that it was large enough for multiple people to fight over a fairly large area. It had an assortment of training weapons mounted on the walls and the floor, though it seemed hard, was specifically designed to help soften impacts, so as to not seriously injure anyone during a sparring match.  
  
Just as Robin finished landing an abnormally high jump-roundhouse kick, he looked up toward the door and saw Starfire standing there watching him. "Mornin', Star," he said as he walked toward her, "What's up?"  
  
"Good morning, Robin my love," Starfire said, "I was curious as to if you would like to sharpen your skills at fighting in a sparring match with me."  
  
"Sure," he said. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------  
  
About ten minutes later, Beast Boy and Cyborg had decided to sharpen their skills at Game Station. As the two cars sped down the virtual highway, Cyborg started shouting, "YOU CAN'T PASS ME! I AM THE KING OF... HEY, YOU LITTLE CHEATER!" Needless to say, Beast Boy passed him.  
  
After he won the race, Beast Boy turned into a lion and sad, "Now who's the king."  
  
As Beast Boy was gloating, Robin and Starfire walked in practically drenched in sweat. Cyborg looked and them and, in an attempt to change the subject, said, "And just what have you two been doing?"  
  
"We were merely sparring," replied Starfire.  
  
"Yeah, right, uh-huh, we believe you," responded Beast Boy.  
  
"Whatever you guys," said Robin, "So, who wants some breakfast?"  
  
"Sounds good, I'll help you make it," said Beast Boy.  
  
"OH NO, not tofu again, I can't stand fake meat!" shouted Cyborg. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------  
While all this was going on, Raven was levitating above her bed in her room while in meditation as she often is. She was attempting to concentrate, but was having trouble. "Azarath Metrion Zinthos," she chanted, until her eyes shot open and she fell to her bed. "Err, why can't I concentrate? It's not like me to get so worked up over a dream. Wait, maybe it wasn't a dream, maybe it was a vision. I need to get some tea and tell the others." She got up from her bed and walked over to her door and out to the hall. She could have just teleported, but she did not want to frighten the others and walking gave her time to think over what she would say. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------  
"Who else want's more?" asked Cyborg as he stood by the stove.  
  
"No thank you, Cyborg. I am, as humans say, 'stuffed' with the fried swine," said Starfire.  
  
"It's called bacon, Starfire, not 'fried swine;' and have you ever thought about the fact that it was once a living pig?" said Beast Boy.  
  
"Beast Boy, we respect your vegan diet, so please respect the diet we have chosen," said Robin.  
  
"Fine," Beast Boy said and crossed his arms; "murderers," he said to himself so the others couldn't hear him.  
  
Raven then walked in and began to make herself some herbal tea. She sat at the table with the others and thought about what to say to them. She decided to just come right out and say it. "Everyone, I have something to tell you all."  
  
"What is it Raven?" Robin asked.  
  
"It's about a dream I had last night. I believe it to be a vision." ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------- [the night before]  
  
(Raven's dream) The sun is setting behind a tall building. The silhouette of a teenage boy with spiked hair and a katana strapped to the left side of his waist is standing at his side on the edge with his left hand on his sword. "Just thought I would warn you of my arrival, Raven," he says. Then it all goes black.  
  
Raven Quickly sat up in her bed, covered in sweat. She noticed that several objects in her room were surrounded by black energy and levitating. She then crossed her legs, closed her eyes and began her chant, "Azarath Metrion Zinthos." ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------  
"I think that we will meet this boy today, but I don't know exactly when, or what his intentions are," Raven said.  
  
"Weird, but there's nothing we can do about it. All we can do is wait and see what happens," Robin said.  
  
"Robin is right. We should continue on with our day and wait for this boy to appear," said Starfire.  
  
"Yeah..." Raven said, trailing off into a train of thought, and walking back to her room. 'I didn't even tell them the strangest thing that he said.' ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------- [Raven's dream]  
  
"Just thought I would warn you of my arrival, Raven. We will meet soon, my sister." ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------- [in a park in the city]  
  
A boy is meditating beneath a tree with his legs crossed. He is wearing black hiking boots, black jeans, a red shirt with a flaming black scull on the chest, and an unbuttoned, black button-up T-shirt (A/N: the deepest parts of his personality and his past are very dark (as will be revealed in later chapters), though he does not always seem that way on the surface, so I decided that he would wear mostly black). He is Caucasian with spiked hair that had been died black, very dark sunglasses, and a chain with what appears to be a silver fire medallion on it. The boy stands up and says to himself, "I hope Raven got my message." He then picks up the duffle bag that was next to him, straps his katana to his waist, and walks into the city. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------- [that evening]  
  
The rest of the day had been fairly uneventful. Cyborg and Beast Boy continued playing video games and arguing over who was cheating. Raven started reading a new book of spells. And Robin and Starfire decided to dress like normal teens and go to the park to get some time to themselves that afternoon.  
  
And then it happened, the one thing that could ruin a peaceful day for the Titans; the alarm sounded. They received a report that someone claiming to be Kagutsuchi (the Shinto god of fire) was causing a great deal of destruction downtown.  
  
The Titans ran/flew to the scene as fast as they could, but by the time they got there several buildings were engulfed in flame. Standing in the middle of the street was a man wearing what appeared to be red samurai armor, a katana, and a large tank (presumably filled with some type of fuel) on his back with tubes leading to nozzles attached to his wrists.  
  
"I was wondering when you would show up, Titans," said the man claiming to be Kagutsuchi.  
  
"TITANS, GO!" Robin shouted.  
  
As the titans began to charge this villain, they thought they heard him shout, "FLAMETHROWER!" They stopped dead in their tracks and prepared themselves by covering their faces with their arms, but the attack did not come from the man before them. The attack came down at an angle from the west (which happened to be at their left). When they looked up at the top of the building to their left, they saw a boy standing at his side in front of the sunset (A/N: I'd describe him but he is the same boy who was in the park, so it shouldn't be necessary). "Stay out of this Titans!" he shouted to them. He then jumped off the building, his shirt flapping behind him, and landed in a kneeling position. He stood and looked toward the Titans, "I shall fight him," he turned and faced Kagutsuchi, "he will pay for disgracing the name Kagutsuchi."  
  
Robin responded, "No way, buddy. We don't even know who you are. There's no way..."  
  
"I am someone with a great deal of hate for anyone who poses as a god," interrupted the boy, "especially those who use my name. I will fight him, and you will stay out of it until I am either knocked unconscious or I say you can interfere, and not before!"  
  
"All right, dude. It's your fight," said Beast Boy.  
  
"What are you saying Beast Boy? That guy could get killed," said Robin.  
  
"Let's just watch and interfere when and if we must," said Raven.  
  
"Good," said the boy. He then turned to Kagutsuchi, "Let us begin."  
  
"Your funeral, kid," responded Kagutsuchi as the boy started running toward him. The boy started to punch him, but Kagutsuchi blocked it and threw him to the ground. As the boy was trying to get up, Kagutsuchi ran over and kicked him in his midsection and sent him flying through the air; he landed on an abandoned car with the sound of breaking glass and bending metal. "Well, that was hardly worth my time," said Kagutsuchi as he turned away from the boy.  
  
"Titans Go!" Robin shouted, and the Titans once again began to charge their opponent. All save for Raven that is.  
  
"STOP!" Raven shouted, "look," she said as she pointed past Kagutsuchi to where the boy had landed. He was once again standing.  
  
"So, you're still conscious, I'll have to fix that," Kagutsuchi said as he looked to the boy, pointed his fists toward him, and blasted the boy with his own flames. This attack could have barbecued an entire building, but it didn't even scorch the boy's clothing.  
  
"Impostor, did you really think that someone who could jump from a building that high without being affected would be defeated so easily," he said to Kagutsuchi. "It's time I showed you a sample of my skills," he said as he discarded his button-up shirt and revealed the two wakazashis on his back that did not appear to be there prior to that moment. The boy ran toward Kagutsuchi as he drew these two swords. He then did a flip over Kagutsuchi's head, cut the tubes at the top of the fuel tank, and sheathed his swords before Kagutsuchi had a chance to react. The boy landed facing the Titans and held up his fist, "FIREBALL," he shouted and his fist was engulfed in flame. He ended the battle by spinning around and punching toward Kagutsuchi's back, letting the fireball go and igniting the fuel; fortunately, the explosion was only enough to break his armor and knock him unconscious.  
  
"Whoa," said Robin in shock, "guess you could handle him."  
  
"Dude, we said you could fight him, not KILL him!" Beast Boy shouted.  
  
"He's not dead," responded the boy. "That blast was merely enough to break his armor and render him unconscious. He'll suffer some minor burns, but he'll recover."  
  
"Okay, we'll let the police handle him from here," said Robin to the boy. "Why don't you come back to the tower with us? I have some questions  
  
I'd like to ask you." ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------- [that night at the base of the tower]  
  
"Okay, come on in kid," Robin said to the boy.  
  
"Kid? I'm the same age as you, dude," responded the boy.  
  
"Whatever, just come inside," said Robin. They each went inside the tower and into the main room. Robin gestured toward the center of the crescent sofa and with a commanding voice said, "sit down."  
  
"Dude, what's your problem," said the boy as he sat down.  
  
"I'll tell you," he responded, "we don't know who you are, we don't know where you came from, we don't know what your intentions are, and we're pretty sure that your the one who sent that dream to Raven. Now, who are you?"  
  
"I should have expected this attitude form Batman's protégé. I am the real Kagutsuchi; or rather, the reincarnation of the real Kagutsuchi, the ancient warrior who was the inspiration for the Shinto god. In this life, I was born in San Diego, California and grew up in California's central valley, I'm not exactly sure where though. My only intentions are to assist you, if you will allow me. And, I am the one who appeared in Raven's dream. I apologize for any distress that may have caused you, Raven."  
  
"Why did you send it?" she asked.  
  
"I didn't want to just show up. I prefer to give a little warning. I would have said more in the dream, but it took a great deal of my energy to send just that, due to the strength of the many barriers you have had to put up. And before you ask, I had to send it to you because I didn't think the others would believe it to be a vision rather than just a strange dream."  
  
"Okay, that's not much of an explanation, but i guess it will do fornow," said Robin.  
  
"Everyone, I believe that sleep would help us all calm down greatly," said Starfire. "We do not want to be mean to a fellow hero."  
  
"Yeah, your right Star," said Robin. "So, Kagutsuchi, where are you staying?"  
  
"Nowhere yet. Last night was my first night in Jump City, and I spent it under a tree in the park."  
  
"Why don't you stay here?" Cyborg asked, "We've had an extra room ever since Impulse split."  
  
"Sure, I could stay here," Kagutsuchi said with a shrug.  
  
"All right then," said Robin, "I have a few more questions that I'd like to ask you tomorrow. Raven, would you show him to the room."  
  
"Sure," she said as everyone else walked to their rooms. 'Good, I was hoping to ask him a few things privately,' she thought as they left. "Come on, it's this way," she said and began to walk down the dark hallway; he followed quickly, carrying his duffle bag. They arrived at the room without a word and both walked inside. Once he was in, Raven shut the door behind them. "I have a few questions that I didn't want to ask you in front of the others."  
  
"Okay. But first, can I ask you something?"  
  
"All right, go ahead."  
  
"Do the others know that your half demon?"  
  
"They know that my father is evil and is the source of my anger, but not that he's a demon. How did you know?"  
  
"I can sense demon and angel energies."  
  
"Okay," she said with a confused tone, "now you answer this. Why did you call me your sister in the vision?"  
  
"Well, because at one time I was in a similar situation as you."  
  
"What do you mean, 'a similar situation.'"  
  
"I was once unable to have emotions due to being in connection with a demon."  
  
"WHAT?!"  
  
"Kagutsuchi was an immortal. He was forced to split himself into an angel and a demon in order to preserve the balance of good and evil in the universe. As part of an ancient prophecy the spirits of these two beings were placed into a mortal body and bonded with the soul of that mortal. That mortal soul is mine. At first, his power would be released whenever I had a spike of emotion, especially anger. So, like you, I was forced to live without emotion."  
  
"But you seem to have emotions now."  
  
"That's because I found a way around it."  
  
"Okay, I want to hear more about this tomorrow, but it's getting pretty late, and I need to sleep."  
  
"All right. Good night Raven."  
  
"Good night Kagutsuchi, and stay out of my head tonight, okay"  
  
"Wasn't planning on entering, that took to much out of me."  
  
So, that's the first chapter, tell me what you think. And NO FLAMES! If you flame me, you shall be cursed with flatulence in awkward moments. Also, I probably won't update very often, due to the workload I have at school, damn AP classes. 


	2. Breakfast, Explanations, and Enemies

Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans or any of the other famous characters I may or may not include in this fic.  
  
A/N: There are some things I should have said in the last chapter. The first has to do with the fact that I listed the secondary category as romance. I'm not really good at writing romantic stories, but this story will contain some in later chapters. Also, I have already made Robin and Starfire a couple (just in case you didn't notice). And, this is both my first Teen Titans fic and my first fic ever, other than the one-shot Teen Titans songfic I wrote.  
  
In this chapter, I mention three other characters named Kaze, Atla, and Voltan. Kaze is simply Japanese for wind. I wanted this character to be named after a Shinto wind goddess, but there wasn't one; so I took the god of wind, Kamikaze, and took off the Kami part. Atla is the Norse goddess of water. And Voltan is the Mayan god of the earth.  
  
Oh, and thank you to Leviathan680 for reviewing.  
  
[the next morning]  
  
Starfire was the first one up. She walked down the hall to where Kagutsuchi was allowed to stay. She opened the door to find Kagutsuchi in a state of meditation. He was still wearing the black jeans and sunglasses, but had replaced his shirts with a black tank top. Multiple scars could be seen on his shoulders. The strange thing was he was floating about two feet off the ground. "Wow, how are you doing that?" At the sound of her voice, Kagutsuchi's eyes shot open and he hit the ground with a thud. "Sorry."  
  
"That's okay, it happens every time I lose control in that form of meditation," he said.  
  
"What was that?" she asked.  
  
"That was something that I've been working on for a long time. It uses my spiritual energy, or ki, to hold me up. I've gotten it to where I can use it in battle and as a form of transportation."  
  
"Okay, come friend, let us wake the others."  
  
"I'd rather not disturb them like that. However, I think the smell of breakfast might wake them up."  
  
"I am afraid I am not good at preparing Earth foods," she said.  
  
"Actually, I meant that I'd make it."  
  
"Oh, okay," she said with a smile, "Oh, do not forget to make some with no animal products for Beast Boy."  
  
"All right, let's go," he said and they walked out into the hall and toward the kitchen.  
  
As they walked, Starfire asked him, "Kagutsuchi, may I ask you something?"  
  
"Of course, go ahead," he said.  
  
"How did you get those scars?" she said pointing at his shoulders.  
  
"When I was growing up, my father was very abusive, he even carried a whip around with him. These aren't even my worst scars I have larger ones on my back," he said and then he noticed that Starfire's eyes were beginning to fill with tears. "But he never actually hurt me, like many warriors of the past I was able to overcome pain by focusing on something else," he said with a reassuring smile. It was a lie, but hearing it made Starfire stop crying. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------  
"Okay, it's almost done," said Kagutsuchi, as he stood over the stove.  
  
"I will go wake the others," said Starfire as she walked into the hall. As she did, Robin walked out of it. "Good morning my dearest love," she said before she kissed him, "I am going to wake the others, Kagutsuchi has prepared breakfast for us all."  
  
"He did?"  
  
"Yes, I did," said Kagutsuchi, "I wanted to thank you for allowing me to stay here last night."  
  
"Oh, what'd you make?" Robin asked.  
  
"Scrambled eggs, bacon, and biscuits n' gravy," he said.  
  
"I've never had biscuits n' gravy before."  
  
"Then you're in for a treat, my mom's gravy and scrambled eggs recipes are really good." At this time Cyborg, Beast Boy, Raven, and Starfire entered the room and sat down at the table.  
  
"So, what are we eatin'?" asked Cyborg.  
  
"Scrambled eggs, bacon, and biscuits n' gravy, using my mom's recipes," responded Kagutsuchi.  
  
"Dude, I don't eat anything that comes from an animal," said Beast Boy.  
  
"So I heard. I made some for you using tofu substitutes," said Kagutsuchi, handing Beast Boy a plate of tofu eggs and bacon.  
  
"Thanks," said Beast Boy.  
  
"Wow," said Cyborg, "what did you add to the eggs?"  
  
"I mixed in some cream. It's a Southern recipe," said Kagutsuchi as he sat down.  
  
"I thought you said you were from California," said Beast Boy.  
  
"I am, but my family's from Arkansas," Kagutsuchi responded.  
  
"Well, thanks for breakfast... uh... what was your name again?" asked  
  
Cyborg.  
  
"Kagutsuchi."  
  
"Okay... I probably won't be able to remember that, or pronounce it right," said Beast Boy.  
  
"Well then, you can call me Zachery," said Kagutsuchi.  
  
"Why didn't you tell us that name sooner?" asked Cyborg.  
  
"Because the name Kagutsuchi has been with me for centuries, and I prefer it," responded Kagutsuchi. "But I'll respond to Zachery."  
  
"How about Zack?" asked Beast Boy.  
  
"Zack will work too," said Kagutsuchi (A/N: I hate being repetitive, so I'll be switching between Zack and Kagutsuchi.)  
  
"Okay... Y'know, I was really impressed with how you fought yesterday, despite how I acted when we got back here," said Robin, trying to get off of what was obviously a touchy subject.  
  
"It was because I called you Batman's protégé, wasn't it?"  
  
"Anyway, I was wondering if you would like to join us, as long as no one else has any objections."  
  
"None here," said Beast Boy.  
  
"It doesn't matter to me," said Raven, although she did want to hear more about him.  
  
"I would love to have you join our team," said Starfire with a smile.  
  
"Before I say anything, I have one question for you," said Cyborg. "Do you play video games?"  
  
"The only video games I've ever played were in an arcade," he said.  
  
"Then I have much to teach you, young grasshopper," said Beast Boy with a bow.  
  
"Only if you want to teach him how to loose," said Cyborg.  
  
"SHUT UP!!! I've beaten you plenty of times," said Beast Boy.  
  
"Yeah, every blue moon," retorted Cyborg.  
  
"That's enough, guys," said Kagutsuchi.  
  
"All right," said Cyborg, "lessons start tomorrow."  
  
"I'm probably gonna regret that," said Kagutsuchi.  
  
"Yes, you will," said Raven.  
  
"Well then, since we're all in agreement..." said Robin.  
  
"Wait, before you guys make your final decisions," interrupted Kagutsuchi, "you should probably know more about me."  
  
"Okay, what do we need to know?" Robin asked.  
  
"Here, let's go into the main room, it's a little calmer in there," said Kagutsuchi. They all walked into the main room, and sat down on the crescent shaped couch; except for Kagutsuchi, he stood in front of the TV.  
  
"What did you want to tell us, Kagutsuchi?" asked Starfire.  
  
"Okay, I told you I'm the reincarnation of the ancient warrior Kagutsuchi, and I really need to elaborate on that. Kagutsuchi was an immortal when life in the universe was in its infancy. He, along with the other three immortals, Kaze, Atla, and Voltan, defeated a great evil, thinking they were saving the universe. Unfortunately, in doing so they offset the balance of good and evil. To correct this balance they were each forced to split into an angel and a demon. And now, that evil is beginning to return, but the angels and demons could not recombine into the immortals; at least, not without a soul that was already balanced. That's where my friends and I came in. There are four of us; each of our souls was bonded with the soul of an angel and a demon, and someday we will be able to become the immortals, and defeat the evil once again. This is my eighth lifetime with the souls of the angel and demon Kagutsuchi, and I have the memories from the other seven."  
  
"And this is supposed to affect our decisions?" said Robin.  
  
"There's more. I am capable of transforming my body into either an angel or a demon. These transformations are controlled by emotion; strong negative emotions can cause a demon transformation and strong positive emotions can cause an angel transformation. Also, where the angel works with me, the demon takes control and forces me to do things I would never do normally. The last time I became a demon it leveled several large villages. I just wanted to warn you that such destruction could happen again. So, do you still want me on your team."  
  
"Yes," said Robin, "What you've done in the past does not change who you are now. Also, after what you've told us, I'd rather have you here, where we can keep an eye on you in case you transform again."  
  
"About that transformation; the demon can only take control in a complete transformation. If I only transform partially, to what I call my Semi-Demon form, I still have complete control," said Kagutsuchi.  
  
"Well, I guess that's good," said Robin, "Anyway, welcome to the team."  
  
"Thanks," said Kagutsuchi. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------  
Zack was starting to drink a coke while he was in the kitchen. Robin was sitting at the table reading, and Cyborg was walking in.  
  
"Hey, Zack," said Cyborg, "if you're gonna be fighting with us, you should probably get a costume to fight in."  
  
"Maybe something like mine," said Robin.  
  
Zack almost choked on his drink and managed to say in between coughs, "Sorry Robin, but I avoid tight clothing like I did the plague."  
  
"What plague?"  
  
"The bubonic plague, but I don't use the same methods." ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------- [flashback]  
  
A dirty boy in dark ages clothing is seen chasing a cat with an axe down a dirt road with bodies lying next to buildings shouting, "DIE, BASTARD TOOL OF SATAN, YOU CONDEMNED MY VILLAGE TO DEATH!!!!!!!!!!" ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------- [end flashback]  
  
"I'm not particularly proud of that part of my first life," said Zack.  
  
"Okaaaay... You still need something to fight in," said Robin.  
  
"Oh, I have something," said Zack.  
  
"Good," said Robin.  
  
"Can we see it?" asked Cyborg.  
  
"Sure," Zack said, putting down his drink. "Stand back." He made his hands into fists, pointed his palms up, and bent his elbows. He then began to yell as his body was engulfed in flame (similar to how the fighters in DBZ are surrounded by energy). When the flame dissipated, Zack's clothes had been replaced by a black gi (like what Son Gokou wears on DBZ) with a gray flame emblem over his heart. His flame necklace was still around his neck and he was still wearing his sunglasses. He had his katana strapped to his waste and his wakazashis were strapped to his back. "How's this?"  
  
"That'll work," said Robin in an astonished tone.  
  
Raven, Beast Boy, and Starfire walked in to investigate who was yelling.  
  
"Yo, what's with the yelling?" said Beast Boy.  
  
"Kagutsuchi was showing us his costume," said Cyborg.  
  
"It's not really a costume," said Kagutsuchi, "it's actually a battle garment that is a part of my body that I can switch with my real clothing."  
  
"That doesn't explain the yelling," said Raven. Apparently she had been meditating when it had happened and was now beginning to become agitated, but she repressed it.  
  
"Here, this will," said Kagutsuchi. He again made his hands into fists, turned his palms face up, bent his elbows, and began to yell as his body was engulfed in flame. When the flame dispersed, he was wearing the clothes he had been wearing that morning. "I don't actually have to do that thing with my arms, it just lets people know that I'm about to do something."  
  
"That reminds me, I wanted to ask you, what else can you do that you haven't shown us?" asked Robin.  
  
"Well, if you would all meet me on the roof in few minutes I'll show you," he said.  
  
"All right," said Robin. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------- [on the roof]  
  
"I wonder why Zachery wanted us to meet him up here?" asked Starfire.  
  
"So that I would have room to work and not burn anything," said Kagutsuchi as he flew up to the roof. He was wearing his gi and his swords.  
  
"Okay, so you can fly," said Robin, "what else?"  
  
"A lot," said Zack as he landed. "First, I can teleport using any flame. All I have to do is expand it to fit my body." At that moment a flame appeared below him and expanded to a little more than the width of his body and he sunk into it at a moderate speed. Another flame appeared on the other side of the roof, expanded to the width of his body and he rose out of it at a moderate speed. "Over here," he said and the others turned around.  
  
"Interesting, what else."  
  
"I have a lot of attacks using fire. You've all seen flamethrower and fireball. I can do something I call 'fireball barrage,' which I use to overwhelm enemies," he said. He then walked over to the edge of the tower and said, "Watch." He held up his hands and made them into fists; his fists were engulfed in flame and he began punching very rapidly (like how fast they throw energy attacks on DBZ); every time he punched a fireball was released. At the angle he was punching, all the fireballs hit the water and were put out. He turned around and said "I can also do an attack that I call 'supernova.'" He turned toward the sea and held his hands above his head so that his palms were facing each other; between them, an orb of fire appeared. He moved his hands apart and the orb grew immensely; it was about twice the size of his body. He then threw the giant orb into the sea, causing a lot of steam. "And here's one of my favorites. This technique allows me to do battle with someone without the risk of them running away. Just stay where you are." He walked to the center of the roof and held up his fist. His fist was engulfed in flame and he thrust it into the air above him. A fireball shot from it and stopped about ten feet above him. The ball then opened up and formed a dome that covered the area around Kagutsuchi and the other Titans. "I call it the Arena of Fire. One of the reasons I like it so much is that I can use it with my teleportation technique to confuse my enemies by quickly jumping into the wall and jumping out of any spot within the arena," he said before he held up his hands and the arena retracted back into a fireball and dissipated. "The rest of my flame attacks require my sword and/or my demon or angel forms, either partial or full."  
  
"Why do you have to be in one of your other forms?" asked Raven.  
  
"Those particular attacks require either the demonic flame or the angelic flame."  
  
"Can you show them to us?" asked Robin.  
  
"All right, but I can only show you the demonic techniques," he said.  
  
"Stand back please, this will be very hot." After the others took a few steps back, Kagutsuchi drew his katana and shouted, "I CALL FORTH THE DEMONIC FLAME!!!" His body and sword were engulfed in black flame as he yelled. When it dissipated, his body had gone through several frightening changes. Curved, blade-like spikes were coming out of his knees, elbows, outer parts of his wrists, and his shoulders. The spikes on his knees were about 5 inches (13 cm) long and curved up. The spikes on his elbows were about 13 inches (33 cm) long and if he were pointing his arm forward, the spike would be pointing behind him. The spikes on his wrists were only about 4½ inches (11.5 cm) long and if he were pointing his arm forward, the spike would be pointing forward. The spikes on his shoulders were about 6 inches (15 cm) long and curved away from his head. He also had small horns (like what the devil had in the movie Little Nikki) and vampire-like fangs. His spikes, horns, and skin were the same color, which had become a fairly light shade of brown. His gi was now tattered, scorched, and torn due to the extreme heat and spikes. "The fire was merely a visual affect, it makes the transformation look better," he said in a voice that sounded like a cross between his own and that of a deep demonic one that seemed to eat at their souls.  
  
"Cool," said Cyborg. "Those spikes do anything?"  
  
"They assist in combat and the ones on my wrists extend to replace my wakazashis," he said, "watch." He crossed his arms in front of his face and thrust them down at an angle to his sides and the spikes extended to the length of his wakazashis.  
  
"That form is very frightening," said Starfire.  
  
"It's supposed to be, but I don't really like to use it. It gives off too much negative energy," he said as he retracted his wrist blades and crossed his arms in front of his face. "Return to mortal," he said as he was once again engulfed in black flame and when it dissipated he was back to normal and so was his gi. "That better?"  
  
Before anything else could be said, the alarm went off. "Titans, there's some madman sacking the plaza. Let's get going," said Robin.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------- [the downtown plaza]  
  
It was a chaotic scene beneath the rain cloud filled skies. A man dressed in all black, medieval warrior style clothing complete with a broadsword was running through the plaza, attacking random people. His face was covered with a shroud so that only his eyes were visible. He was about to kill a woman trying to save a child when his sword was encased in black energy.  
  
"I can give you five reasons why you DON'T want to do that," said Robin.  
  
"Please," he said in a deep, scratchy voice, "skip the numbering and get on with your meaningless attacks."  
  
"Okay, but remember, you asked for it," said Cyborg said before he fired his sonic cannon.  
  
The figure quickly opened a portal of darkness and slipped through to avoid the blast. It reopened behind Cyborg and a sword slashed out of it; the sword penetrated Cyborg's back and cut some wires; Cyborg shut down. Another portal opened up near Robin. The figure shot out of it and attacked him from behind. Robin was down, he was unconscious before he realized what had happened.  
  
"ROBIN!!!!" Starfire shouted. Her eyes glowed green as she flew at the figure as fast as she could. She tried to punch, but he dodged it and she flew into the wall of a building.  
  
Raven telekinetically lifted a streetlight. She swung it at him, but he ducked into another portal. It reopened behind her and he shot out of it and knocked her out. Beast Boy then swooped down in his pterodactyl form; the figure ducked and Beast Boy missed. He then landed and changed into a lion. He pounced toward the figure with his claws aiming at the shroud. The figure quickly did an uppercut and knocked Beast Boy into a building.  
  
"And she said, 'Certainly the Teen Titans will be a match for Dub,'" he quoted sarcastically as he viewed the Titans' motionless bodies. "This is the best they could do." Then a flame appeared about six feet in front of him and Kagutsuchi came out, wearing his gi and all his swords. "Who are you?"  
  
"I'm reason number six, Kagutsuchi."  
  
"Hmm, a swordsman," said the figure, eyeing Kagutsuchi's blades. "Draw your weapon!"  
  
"Very well," said Kagutsuchi as he slowly drew his katana, "but I am more experienced then I appear."  
  
"Perhaps, but no one has faced Dub without falling victim to his blade, and you will be no exception." With that, Dub ran at Kagutsuchi and made a broad swing with his blade that was meant to take the boy's head, but Kagutsuchi managed to duck backwards and avoid the strike. After missing, Dub attempted to slash down and cut his opponent in half, but Kagutsuchi caught the attack with his katana. Now it was Kagutsuchi's turn; he stood up straight, forcing Dub back and then leaped into the air and threw a fireball at his opponent. Dub ducked into a dark portal and reappeared above Kagutsuchi. As Dub slashed with his sword, Kagutsuchi flew into his own portal to avoid him and reappeared on the ground; Dub did the same so that they were facing each other.  
  
"We could probably go on like this for hours," said Kagutsuchi, lowering his sword slightly and leaving himself open.  
  
"We could, OR YOU COULD DIE!!!" Dub ran at Kagutsuchi with great speed, aiming his sword at his opponents open spot, only to hit the back of Kagutsuchi's sword and to feel the edge of a wakazashi at his throat.  
  
"I told you I was more experienced then I appeared to be, but you didn't listen Dub, son of CARMAN," said Kagutsuchi before he jumped back, sheathed his wakazashi, and took a defensive stance.  
  
"How do you know of my mother?"  
  
"That's the least of your worries," said Kagutsuchi. "How should I put this... I know, sunlight always penetrates the darkness."  
  
"What sun? The sky is filled wi.... AAAHHHHH," he screamed as he was hit in the back by several starbolts. Starfire, being one of the strongest Titans, was the first to reawaken and assist Kagutsuchi.  
  
"Keep em' comin' Starfire, he's vulnerable to light energy!" said Kagutsuchi.  
  
"Not this time swordsman, I will return with my brothers, and you will not survive," said Dub as he opened another dark portal and escaped.  
  
"Good work, Starfire, your starbolts seem to be the perfect weapon against him," said Kagutsuchi as he sheathed his katana and walked over to her.  
  
"You were fighting excellently as well, Zachery. How did you know my starbolts would be so effective?" she asked.  
  
"Lets revive the others, then I'll explain it to everyone at once," he said.  
  
A few minutes later the others were awake and Robin had made temporary repairs to Cyborg. They were all wondering what had happened.  
  
"Who was that guy?" asked Robin.  
  
"His name is Dub, son of the evil witch Carman. He and his brothers, Dother and Dian, were supposedly defeated long ago, but it appears they have resurfaced. Also, his powers come from the fact that he is a creature of darkness, his brother Dother is a creature of evil, and Dian is a creature of violence. So the destruction seen here is but a sample of what they can do together," said Kagutsuchi.  
  
"How do you know all this?" asked Robin.  
  
"Their story is found in Celtic mythology, and I recognized him because his energy is similar to that of his mother, who I faced in a past life. I proved this assumption when I mentioned Carman and confessed to being one of her children."  
  
"Ookaaay," said Beast Boy, thoroughly confused.  
  
Then, something worse than even the great evil that the immortals fought arrived.... network reporters. They all turned to look at them.  
  
"Here come the vultures," said Robin, "so Kagutsuchi, do you want to introduce yourself?... Kagutsuchi," when he turned around, Kagutsuchi was gone.  
  
"Guess he hates reporters more than I do." ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------  
  
When the others got back that evening, Zack was on the roof meditating. Most of the Titans went about there own business, but Raven went up to speak with him. She wanted to know just how he 'found a way around' having his demon take control when he was angered, as well as why he left so suddenly after the battle. When she walked onto the roof he was just coming out of his trance.  
  
"Hello, Raven," he said as he lowered himself to the floor and stood up.  
  
"Hi," she said. "I was wondering, why did you leave when those media people showed up?"  
  
"There are certain people I'm trying to avoid at the moment; there was a possibility that they would have seen the news reports."  
  
"Really," she said in a sarcastic tone.  
  
"Okay, they've been trying to get to me for centuries. Whenever they find me, they attack, which wouldn't be so bad, since we're pretty evenly matched, except other people end up getting hurt," he said as they sat down on the ledge.  
  
"Who are they?"  
  
"Two of the other immortals, Atla and Voltan. They blame me for Kaze's death, which is partially true."  
  
"But, you and those two have obviously been reincarnated repeatedly, wasn't she?"  
  
"No. She died by my hand, and by the demon Kagutsuchi's will. Because the demon form of one of the immortals killed her, she was not reincarnated. I still don't know what happened to her."  
  
"What do you mean 'the demon Kagutsuchi's will?'"  
  
"In my first life I was reckless with my demon form; I thought I could control him. I became enraged during a battle and he took over and began attacking villages. Atla and Voltan were too far away, so it was up to Kaze to stop him in her angel form; she simply wasn't strong enough. I saw the whole thing from within my mind," his eyes were now starting to tear up. In a quivering voice he said, "I saw him strike her down using my own hands, and I was powerless to stop him," After that, there was silence. He recovered for a few moments and said, "I'm sorry, I probably shouldn't have told you all that. Once I get started on that subject, I can't stop talking."  
  
"It's all right, I know what that's like to lose control of a demon," then there was silence for a while. She almost said something sympathetic but that could have caused something very horrible to happen.  
  
"I eventually regained control, and vowed to never use my demon form again; and I never have."  
  
"How did you stop from transforming into a demon without controlling your emotions?"  
  
"For a while I had to control my emotions; but, after a lot of meditation and guidance from my master, I found a way to separate my powers from my emotions for as long as I wanted. In fact, one of the reasons I came here was to possibly teach you what I learned."  
  
"Why would I want to learn?" she asked. In the deepest part of her mind, she feared what his answer would be.  
  
"It would make your powers less dangerous. I know you've accidentally expressed emotions, and that things have blown up because of it." He also knew that she would not go along with the idea that she wanted to express emotions for certain reasons.  
  
"How did you do it?"  
  
"That's pretty difficult to explain," he said and then thought for a moment. "I got it! Do you know astral projection?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Good. If I put myself into a certain type of meditation, you'll be able to project yourself into my mind."  
  
"Right now?"  
  
"No, my mind is still active from the battle, and I don't want you to be trapped in there. I don't know how long even you could last in it; there's some pretty scary stuff in there."  
  
"Like what?"  
  
"You don' wanna know," he said and then there was a long silence as they sat there in front of the setting sun. "I'm gonna go back downstairs; see what the others are up to, wanna come."  
  
"No, I'm gonna stay here for a while."  
  
"All right. I'll talk to ya later."  
  
As he walked away, Raven thought to herself, 'I have a feeling he's hiding something. Oh well, I'll find out later.'  
  
Okay, that's chapter two, tell me what you think. Oh, and the curse of flatulence still stands for anyone who flames me. 


	3. Soul Separation

Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans, any of the other famous characters I may or may not use in this fic, or any of the bands that I mention.  
  
A/N: Sorry I haven't updated in so long (for anyone who actually cares); I just haven't  
  
Thanks to x-RAVEN-x and Arrow-Tipped Kestrel for reviewing.  
  
About a week had gone by and not much had changed. Zack (when he wasn't training or playing video games) had been doing research on the sort of abilities Dub and his brothers have, as well as trying to locate their base of operations. Robin and Starfire had been almost inseparable and had occasionally been found in the morning sleeping on the couch in each other's arms. Cyborg spent most of his time working on the T-Car. Beast Boy got rapped up in another video game and had been trying to instruct Zack in the finer points of gaming along with Cyborg. And Raven spent most of her time reading and meditating.  
  
On this particular morning, Robin and Starfire were going to check on Zack to see if he had made any progress. Robin knocked on the door and Zack replied with a simple, "Yeah!"  
  
Robin opened the door and both he and Starfire walked in, "Have you found anything new?"  
  
"Yes. I'm fairly sure that all Dub can do is teleport and wield a sword with great skill, and I believe that I have found the abilities of the others, but I still have no idea where their base of operations is. All I know is that it is nowhere near this area."  
  
"What powers do the others have?" asked Starfire.  
  
"Dother, the creature of evil, is Carman's lieutenant and commands the other two. In combat, he transforms into a powerful, demon-like creature, similar to some sort of cat, with razor sharp teeth and claws and huge spikes coming out of his back. Also, I speculate that if he looks into your eyes, he can trap you in your own personal Hell."  
  
"Why's that?" asked Robin.  
  
"Well, that seems like an ability she would gift one of her sons with, since she cursed me with it."  
  
"Oh, I gue... wait a second, are you saying that if we were to look in your eyes, we would be trapped in Hell?!" exclaimed Robin.  
  
"That's why I always wear sunglasses. As long as you can't see my eyes nothing will happen."  
  
"How can we defend ourselves from it?" asked Starfire.  
  
"We just need to get sunglasses for everyone, they will block the energy. Anyway, as for Dian, the creature of violence, he need only flex a muscle to break through a boulder. He's the dumbest of the three, but he is also perhaps the most dangerous. Or so the legends say." (A/N: Just so you know, Carman, Dub, Dother, and Dian do exist in Celtic mythology, but I made up all their abilities.)  
  
"And what about Carman?" asked Robin.  
  
"Carman is a very powerful witch who uses evil magic. She can curse you with any number of things, some temporary and some permanent. She also uses magic to intensify her own abilities in combat."  
  
"Zachery, exactly how strong are these creatures?" asked Starfire.  
  
"I'm not entirely sure, I can only tell you what the legends say, but I'm certain we can handle them. Dub was only able to defeat us last time because he separated us and surprised us with his abilities."  
  
"You are certain that we can defeat them?" said Starfire.  
  
"Absolutely."  
  
"Hey, what's going on in here," said Beast Boy as he walked in, "I was walking by and noticed Zack's door was open."  
  
"We were just discussing our chances against Dub and his brothers," said Kagutsuchi.  
  
"Okay... Hey dude, you still haven't gotten any stuff for your room," said Beast Boy, noticing that the only things in Kagutsuchi's room was a bed that had hardly been used, some old mythology books, some notes that he had taken, and his duffle bag. "You do realize that we get money for that sort of stuff, right?"  
  
"We can't use that for him until we register him in Oracle's Network as a member of our team," interrupted Robin.  
  
"What would this registration require?" asked Kagutsuchi.  
  
"Just basic information like your name, powers, and enemies. Nothing about your private life," answered Robin.  
  
"Oh, okay. And who would have access to it?"  
  
"Only our allies, we've yet to meet anyone who could hack into something Oracle has set up," said Robin.  
  
"Oh, okay then, let's just get that out of the way." ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------- [after the registration]  
  
"Well, that took a little longer than expected," said Kagutsuchi, leaning against a wall next to the computer.  
  
"Too bad you have seven lifetimes of enemies," said Robin.  
  
"You try using demon energy and making friends in superstitious areas. And, you're the one who wanted to include them all," he responded.  
  
"Have you finished yet?" Starfire asked as she walked into the room.  
  
"Yeah Star, just did," replied Robin.  
  
"Wondrous. Now come, we must take Zachery to the mall of shopping so we may purchase furnishings for his room."  
  
"Translation, please," Zack asked.  
  
"She wants us to take you to the mall so we can get some stuff for your room," answered Robin.  
  
"Oh, okay. I'll go see if the others want to go," said Zack.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------- [in the T-Car]  
  
Cyborg was driving, Beastboy was next to him and in the back were Starfire, Robin, and Kagutsuchi (in that seating order); Raven elected to stay back at the tower. They were all in costume, save for Kagutsuchi who preferred normal clothing and wore what he did when they all first met.  
  
As they walked into the mall, Kagutsuchi asked, "Hey, I understand that Cyborg has no choice, but why do the rest of you always wear your costumes when you go out?"  
  
"We want to let the people know that we're always there to help," said Robin.  
  
"Yeah, but what about your privacy. Don't you ever want to walk in a crowd without being recognized by everyone around you?"  
  
"Sometimes, but we understand that the city needs to feel safe. Seeing us just lets the people feel secure."  
  
"Okay, I guess that makes sense," said Zack as they walked into the mall and he noticed that almost everyone was looking at them and talking too each other, "but I still don't like the feeling I'm getting from them. So, where do you guys think we should go?"  
  
"Lets start with some electronics," said Cyborg. "They're my specialty," he said proudly.  
  
"Alright, how much can we spend?" asked Zack.  
  
"They don't give us a limit, just try to keep it fairly low," said Robin.  
  
"Who are 'they?'" asked Zack.  
  
"Wayne Enterprises and the Government," responded Robin.  
  
"Okay then, I'll need a stereo, a laptop, and a bunch of CD's."  
  
"What brands do you want?" asked Cyborg.  
  
"I don't really know what the good brands are, so could you pick em' out for me, Cyborg?"  
  
"Sure, I'll find ya' somethin' good" he responded.  
  
"Thanks. I'll go find some CD's and meet up with the rest of you later."  
  
"May we come with you, Zachery?" asked Starfire.  
  
"If ya' want to, sure," replied Zack calmly.  
  
"So, what d'ya listen to?" asked Beast Boy.  
  
"Mostly Rock. I especially like Hard Rock stuff like Godsmack, Staind, Slipknot, Metallica, The Offspring, etc."  
  
"Dude, I thought you liked good music," said Beast Boy.  
  
"I listen to what I connect with; and I connect with sorrow, anger, and rebellion. Rock has all of these things along with a sound that I prefer."  
  
"Wait a sec, last time I checked The Offspring wasn't really a Hard Rock band."  
  
"Well I guess your only familiar with their last couple of albums. Listen to their older stuff and you'll see why I like them. The same goes for Metallica. Also, I like other forms of rock; hard rock is just my favorite."  
  
While Beast Boy and Zack were having their discussion on musical preference, Robin was explaining to Starfire that they were talking about a genre of music and not geology. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -----------------------------  
"So, where else do you wanna go, Zack?" asked Robin.  
  
"Is there a store in here that sells Asian imports?"  
  
"Yeah. It's on the other side of the mall."  
  
"Okay then, let's head over there," said Zack. As they walked he once again noticed all the people starring at them and could here some of their names being mentioned. "Dude, this really brings back some bad memories."  
  
"What does?" asked Starfire.  
  
"All these people starring at us; it reminds me of my first few lives. No matter where I went, the rumors of what I was beat me there. By my fifth life I just didn't use my powers unless it was absolutely necessary; and even then I had to be sure to hide who I was."  
  
"So that's why I've never heard of you before," said Robin.  
  
"Yeah, people feared me so much that they would hunt me like some goddam monster."  
  
"How did you deal with such pain, Zachery?" asked Starfire.  
  
"I just lived alone, only staying in contact with those who were smart enough to realize that I wasn't actually a threat."  
  
"Hey guys, were here," said Robin. "So what do ya' need here?"  
  
"Oh, I'm looking for a stand for my katana, some green tea, a yin- yang tapestry, and some candles if they have 'em."  
  
"Okay, need any help," asked Beast Boy.  
  
"Nah, I know what I want, this'll only take a minute." ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -----------------------------  
"Is that it?" asked Cyborg.  
  
"No, there's one more thing I wanna grab," responded Zack, "Is there a guitar store 'round here."  
  
"Yeah, its over here," said Beast Boy as he led Zack to it. Zack walked in and came out a couple minutes later with an acoustic guitar and some spare strings.  
  
"What is that object?" asked Starfire, pointing to the guitar.  
  
"It's a guitar, Starfire," said Zack, "it's used for playing music."  
  
"Will you play something for me at home, Zachery," she asked.  
  
"Maybe some other time, I haven't practiced in about fifteen years."  
  
"Aren't you only fifteen years old?" asked Robin.  
  
"In this life, yeah; but I learned how to play in my last life. Anyway, let's go back to the Tower, I'm getting tired of all these people watching us." ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------  
Zack had gotten everything into his room and was tuning his guitar while the song Master of Puppets (by Metallica, for anyone who doesn't know) was playing in the background when someone knocked on his door. "It's open," he said. The door slid open and Raven walked in. "Oh, hey Raven. What's up?"  
  
"I was wondering what you bought for your room. It doesn't look like much."  
  
"Yeah. I don't really need that much; just a few things to help me remain calm."  
  
"I've been thinking about what you told me, about separating your powers from your emotions, and I've been wondering how you did it."  
  
"As I said before, the only way I can really explain it is to show you. How 'bout this: I'll go into a special form of meditation and lower my aura. When I do so, you can use astral projection to enter my mind."  
  
"Alright."  
  
"Okay," he said as he sat on the floor, crossed his legs and began to hover above the ground, "come position your self directly in front of me." She did so and all went silent. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------  
Raven found herself in a large circular hall, which did not appear to have a ceiling. Around her there were three large, cathedral style doors. The door directly in front of her was grey. The door to its left was black, and the one to its right was white and had a large lock on it with chains going to the corners. "What is this place?" she asked aloud as she turned around, taking in every feature.  
  
"This is what I call the Hall of the Three Souls," said a voice from behind. Raven turned around to face the grey door and was face-to-face with Zack. He was wearing his gi and had his hands placed behind his back. "It is the way that I can completely control my powers: by having the mortal, demon, and angel souls almost entirely separate from each other."  
  
"How did you do this?"  
  
"Come this way, and it will all become as clear as I can possibly make it," he said. Then he turned around quickly so that she could not see his hands and pushed the grey doors open. Raven followed him in. As she walked by, she noticed red streaks on the doors where Zack had touched them.  
  
Once she was through the doors, Raven was hit with a blinding light from which she quickly guarded her face. After a moment it dissipated. She found herself in a large field surrounded by what appeared to be a redwood forest. All the plants and trees looked like those of Earth, but when she looked up, she noticed some thing strange. In the night sky there stood four moons, each a different color: red, white, brown, and blue; also, the sky they were set in appeared purple, rather than black.  
  
"This way Raven," she heard from in front of her. Zack was standing in the middle of the field waiting for her. "I would like to take you to see my master."  
  
"Your master?"  
  
"Well... the memory of my master. This way," he said and started walking away from her, she quickly caught up with him.  
  
"What is this place?" Raven asked.  
  
"This is the memory of the place where I spent most of my first life, this is where I began my training for the final battle centuries ago. My master's village is just beyond the tree line in front of us."  
  
They crossed the tree line and before them was a small village. It consisted of about ten huts in a circle around a large fire. "This was the scene I was welcomed to when I first came to this world. My masters' hut is over here." He led her over to the hut on the far right of where they came in and entered.  
  
Inside the hut, sitting on a platform at the back, there was what appeared to be a small, green man. He was about two feet (61 cm) tall; he had three red eyes and four small horns on the corners of his head. Kagutsuchi walked up to him and knelt. "Why have you come here, Kagutsuchi?" asked the master.  
  
"I have come so that you may explain to my sister, Raven, how I am able to control my demon powers."  
  
"Step forward, Raven," said the master. As she did, Kagutsuchi stood and moved behind her. "Your brother here can control his demon because he has separated it from his mortal consciousness."  
  
"He already explained that to me. But I would like to know how," she said.  
  
"Why so curious?" asked the master.  
  
"I too have a part of a demon living within me, and I want to gain full control over it."  
  
"Why must you gain control over it?"  
  
"It is a danger to my friends, myself, and the entire planet."  
  
"I sense there is another reason; please, tell me."  
  
"Master," interrupted Kagutsuchi, "she cannot stay here much longer, and she must know how."  
  
"Very well, to get here you must have gone through his Hall of the Three Souls, yes?"  
  
"Yes," she replied.  
  
"Well then, you have most of your answer there. Each mind has such a hall. Some are more complex, and some are less. These halls have rooms for such separate entities as demons and mortals. If the demon within you has been awakened, you must either force it or lure (depending on its strength) it into the room. Once this is done, it will have no power unless you allow it to."  
  
"That is all we can tell you at the moment, I cannot know more until I know more about your mind," said Kagutsuchi. "We should leave now, I can't hold the meditation with you in here for much longer."  
Raven suddenly found herself in a blinding light. When it faded, she was back in Zack's room, right where she had been when they began. "That's all you could tell me?"  
  
"The process of separating the demon from the rest of the mind is different for each mind. Until I know more about yours, I cannot advise you."  
  
"Follow me, I may be able to show you what you need to know."  
  
They both got up, and Zack followed her out of the room and into the hall. 


End file.
